This winter the IMU Biddle Hotel began an extensive renovation. Not only will all 189 rooms be renovated with new electric, plumbing, wallpaper and new furniture but a new roof to the hotel will also be installed. This is the biggest renovation for the hotel since 1994.

The quaint furniture, so long at home in the hotel, must be removed first. Mike Campbell, associate director of the IMU, said the furniture was “a little dated for the hotel, but still in good condition.” Realizing that trying to sell the furniture would result in more work than it was worth, the IMU decided to work with local non-profits and donate the used furniture.

The used hotel furniture became a donation to Habitat for Humanity of Monroe County and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul. The donation is so large that the moving process has been broken down into five different sessions, each about two weeks apart. Allison Hess, marketing director of the regional Habitat office, said, “This is the largest donation our ReStore has ever seen.”

An earlier attempt to renovate the hotel and donate the furniture in 2015 fell through, because the process of moving the furniture out of the IMU would have been too costly. Habitat for Humanity, working with Soft Touch Moving & Storage Co., agreed to move the furniture at no cost to the IMU. “It’s a trade off,” Campbell said, “And it’s a great way to work with the community.”

The first two floors of the hotel have already been cleared of furniture, and are now being sold to people at the Habitat ReStore. Marc Papier, manager of the Monroe County Habitat ReStore, said, “The first rounds of furniture received has been really selling. People have been waiting for these donations to arrive.”

The proceeds of the furniture donated to Habitat will go towards building new houses for local families in need of shelter.

The hotel amenities donated include, but are not limited to: 178 desks with the same number of padded desk chairs, 180 framed mirrors, 116 nightstands, 96 armoires and 256 headboards.